Pros and Cons of a Destination Wedding

Destination weddings are often a fairy tale dream for Canadian couples who want to get away from Canada’s harsher climate (most of the year). Canada Weds editors outline some key considerations – pros and cons of destination weddings – to help you decide if it is right for you!

Are you a bride-groom trying to figure out if a destination wedding is the right choice? It sounds like a great idea – and it might be! Here are some pros and cons to consider that will aid you in the big decision. Whether it is a beach wedding south, or a destination wedding right here in Canada!

Destination Wedding Pros

Smaller Guest List

Having a smaller guest list makes things so much easier. The typical destination wedding involves a very small number of guests that includes only close family members and a handful of friends. This makes preparing the invitations a snap since you don’t have to address a hundred or more as you would for a more traditional wedding. Also, if you have an annoying distant relative that you can’t stand, it’s far easier to keep them off the guest list if your wedding is kept small for your destination wedding – you have the perfect excuse not to invite them! With a small guest list, you can even bring some small and light destination or beach themed wedding favours in your carry on!

It Saves You Money

A destination wedding is one of the least expensive ways to have a wedding by far, at least from the perspective of the bride and groom. You would have been taking a trip for your honeymoon anyways, so that doesn’t really count as an extra expense. But meanwhile, due to your smaller guest list, your costs of throwing a reception shrink dramatically (although costs do go up for guests – see below)!

The Resort or Hotel Does Everything For You

Because you’re so far away, many of the popular spots for destination weddings will have great infrastructure in place for planning your wedding. You’ll communicate with them via e-mail or phone, and they will set up everything from your ceremony to your reception for you. This takes up way less time compared to what you’d go through if you were planning a local wedding. (You know, all that running around to check out banquet halls and ceremony locations is exhausting after all!)

It’s More Romantic

Who hasn’t dreamt of standing barefoot on the beach in a flowing white gown, reciting your vows as the sun sets over the horizon? Sorry traditional-wedding-people, but this ridiculously romantic vision just can’t be duplicated in a traditional wedding.

Destination Wedding Cons

Some of Your Invited Guests May Not Be Able to Afford to Attend

Many of your family and friends won’t be able to afford to attend your wedding. Most of the time, destination weddings are more costly for friends and family to attend compared to holding the big event where you live. Because of this, you’ll find that a lot of people who you would have loved to have at your wedding will not be able to make it.

It May Disappoint Your Family

It may disappoint your more traditional family members. If your family is really easy-going, this is a non-issue. But if you or your partner comes from a very opinionated and very traditional family, brace yourself for an onslaught of criticism over your decision. They’ve probably been planning since the day you were born to welcome you to married life via a big church wedding, along with a huge reception where 500 of their closest friends were invited to celebrate your big day – now that you’ve ripped that dream out from under them, prepare yourself for the backlash. But don’t worry… they’ll get over it… eventually!

Red Tape

If you get married in a foreign country, you’ll have to deal with extra red tape so you should definitely consult with the Canadian government site for more information. There are also useful tips out there for dealing with extra red tape when it comes to getting your marriage recognized here at home. So be prepared to spend some time researching the rules to ensure that all of the necessary paperwork will be completed properly. Again, the government of Canada has prepared a handy guide for this, so be sure to check it out.

Are you Destined for a Wedding Outside of Canada?

A destination wedding isn’t for everyone. But for a lot of people, it is the perfect way to tie the knot – give yourself lots of time to think it over, but once you’ve decided what to do, don’t waste time second-guessing yourself. Just focus on making your big day everything you want it to be!

If during the wedding planning process you keep coming back to how great it would be to take off for a destination wedding – then our editorial team at CanadaWeds.ca has one last bit of advice – GO FOR IT!

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